


A Rose by Any Other Name

by Acecreatesthings



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 15:05:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12843729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acecreatesthings/pseuds/Acecreatesthings
Summary: Barry's name wasn't always Barry. But that doesn't mean he wanted the others to know that.Mildly based on this Post: https://acecreates.tumblr.com/post/167856417476/barrys-name-was-originally-sildar-hallwinter





	A Rose by Any Other Name

The phone rang loudly and Sildar dove for it snatching it up before his arguing parents in the other room could have a chance to. Sildar Hallwinter, named after the lovely father of the household. The one currently down the stairs with his mother.

"Congratulations Sir you have been accepted into the IPRE candidate program, there is an evening mingle next month." Sildar inhaled nervously, he always hated phone calls. Almost as much as he hated socializing. "For this mingle we are going to have name tags, what name would you like to be placed on your name tag?" Sildar took a deep breath. He could do this, it's just his name.

"Darry J." His father would be mad, and his mother would suffer if his father found out. But if there's one thing Darry did not want. It was to even be remotely similar to his father. Darry was the farthest away he could get without his father screaming in his face. The phone started crackling and he bit his lip nervously.

"Darry J.? Is that correct?" At least that's what it sounded like, the terrible service they got in his house made it hard to hear the poor man. That and his father screaming up at his mother in the other room didn't help much.

"Uh. Sure."

"The mingle is at IPRE in room 178 at exactly 6:30 Sixth month day seven. Please refrain from being late" Darry quickly hung up the phone as his father walked past his room obviously drunk, and clearly pissed. Darry held his breath as his father walked down the hall and slammed the door into the master bedroom. It would be impossible to hide his flinch but he tried.

"That the IPRE?" His mother asked gently walking into the room. The most beautiful woman in the world, Darry thought to himself, and she's stuck with an asshole like his father. He nodded nervously. "I'll cover for you don't worry honey."

"Mom" He protested keeping his voice down. "If he finds out."

"He won't"

"But you-"

" _he won't_ " She says more forcefully. "I want you to live your life dear. Go out, get a girlfriend, get that IPRE spot, get away from _here_." She stopped for a moment, "Get away from him." Darry hesitates but eventually pulls his mother into a hug

"I love you"

"I love you too sweetheart"

 

* * *

 

Darry was very much late to the mingle. He meant to leave two hours early, but unfortunately, Sildar came home three hours early. Having been fired from _another_ job.  that meant that in order for Darry to leave without putting his mother in danger he had to wait til Sildar was out cold. A little sleeping potion and he was out by 7:00. This... Left much to be desired but Darry took it. He hugged his mother and ran out the door hoping to whatever gods were out there that they didn't lock the door at 6:30.

They didn't lock the doors, however, Darry found himself at a table with one name tag left. and that most certainly was not the name he gave the lady on the phone.

"Barry J." He looked around nervously for some sort of attendant, someone who could help him correct this mistake but the hall was empty. The ballroom was bustling with people but there was no one outside the doors. He sighed and picked up the name tag. It was close enough, right?

Darry spent the first twenty minutes at the mingle people watching. His eyes kept drifting to a pair of young blonde twins who kept arguing with the chef about his ingredients choices. For a moment he was certain they were going to burst into the kitchen and recook all of the food themselves. Instead, the female of the twins turned and noticed him looking at her.

"Shit" He muttered turning red and forcing his attention elsewhere hoping to avoid confrontation. He let his eyes drift back after a moment and the girl was right in front of him. "FUCK!" he yelled jumping backward and tripping over his own two feet to land on the floor.

"Hi there!" She smiled brightly helping him back up. "See something you like?" She winked at him and he stammered out a hello still flushing red. A brief glance at her shirt said "Taako"

"Yo Lup" the other one of the twins walked up, "Where'd you go? We almost got that sucker to let us into the kitchen!" He studied barry. "Who's this?"

"Oh- Uh- I'm-"

"This is Barry Bluejeans" Lup interjected in the most dramatic voice Darry has ever heard

"Sup Barold" the other twin waved, his name tag said Lup. It took him a moment to realize they had swapped name tags.

"H-Hi" He gave a nervous smile.

"Come on let's go pick on the tall guy who keeps arm wrestling people." Taako tugged on his sister's arm.

"I'm coming I'm coming!" Lup replied turning to grin at Darry, "Come on!" Darry hesitated but Lup didn't give him a choice. She tugged his arm and pulled him into the crowd.

"Hi everyone!"

"Hey, Lup!" A tall man with sideburns and a _blatant_ ignorance of a dress code waved. "Who's your friend?"

"Magnus!" Lup smiled, something that made Darry's stomach drop with nerves. "This is Barry Bluejeans."

"His name is Barry J. Bluejeans?" Magnus asked confused and Darry started to contradict her but Taako cut him off.

"Absolutely my dear boy. Now if you'll excuse me I need to run away with my beloved sister so we can kick some sense into that dullard of a cook." Taako grabbed Lup who gave Darry a pat on the back before following her brother.

He later found out she had left a pinch me note on his back, but a nice woman with long white hair had kindly taken it off of him shortly after. The rest of the night he was simply referred to as Barry. Or Barold in Taako's case. It was nice though, for once he felt like he had control of where his life was going. He wasn't his father, he didn't have to be Darry, or Sildar, or even a Hallwinter. He gently took off the name tag as he walked into the house. It was nearly 3 in the morning, if his father found out how late he was out he'd be in trouble. Luckily the house was quiet, the gentle snores coming from his father's room echoed through the face.

He got accepted. He was one of the seven candidates. This was it, he was finally leaving. The rest of the crew had left to some random bar, but Barry. Barry was at home. His father screaming at him.

He had found Barry's papers. He had found out that Barry was going to try and use to legally change his name.

"Why would you want a STUPID name like BARRY Bluejeans?" His father was screaming and Barry flinched back. "You DISGUST me"

"Sildar that's enough!" His mother snapped and Barry paled as his father turned towards the nervous woman standing across the room.

"I bet this was your idea wasn't it!?" he growled, "You useless bitch!" Barry snapped, He brought his fist back and punched his father. The man staggered a bit and looked shocked. Barry felt his heart pound as his father turned back to him. He made it about two steps before collapsing to the ground. His mother held a wand and was crying.

"I'm sorry dear" She shoved a bag into his hands "Go. I'll be fine" She smiled through her tears. "I am so. So proud of you" His father started stirring and Barry's mother flinched. "GO." She shoved him out the door. "Go!"

That was over thirty cycles ago. Barry smiled at the crew, Magnus and Merle were arguing about plants, almost to the point that even Lucretia was getting annoyed.

"Boys." She threw a pencil at them. "Boys this is the nightmare scenario. Please go fight something and stop discussing the whether or not it's ethical to fuck plants. Seriously." Magnus and merle hesitated looking at the white-haired woman who was entirely annoyed.

"Barry. Barry, we should go find that fifty armed dude again" Magnus stood up obviously excited.

"Please do not fight that," Lucretia muttered.

"You are NOT going to fight anyone." Davenport scolded from the table, Lup laughed and waved her hands around as sparks flew around.

"FUCK" Taako’s voice screamed from the kitchen and Magnus glanced up.

“Taako!! You better not be getting at my cookies!!” There was no response and Magnus stood up walking towards the door. “Taako!!” this time Taako’s joyful laughter answered. Barry and Lup glanced up as the door got kicked open.

“Sildar fucking Hallwinter” Barry tensed suddenly feeling like the hunger had killed him a million times over. Taako was holding a sturdy box of papers that Barry had built, and locked. The only reason he hadn’t destroyed that box in the first place was to remind him where they came from. To remind him of his mother.

“Your name is Sildar. Fucking. HALLWINTER?!?!” Taako turned to Barry but he was gone. “What the fuck. Lup where’d your boyfriend go I’ve got some Prime teasing to do.” He pulled out a piece of paper from the box and opened his mouth only to find an umbrella slamming into his face.

“GODS TAAKO YOU HAVE NO DECENCY” Lup snatched up the box and walked over to Magnus. “Can you help me fix this box? I’ll make you a new batch of cookies”

“Where’d Barry go?” Magnus asked.

“I-” Lup hesitated fidgeting nervously. “I don’t know”

“Well. He would-” Lucretia leaned curiously towards the contents of the box. A quick Glare from Lup quickly discouraged her though. Lucretia coughed “NOT want us looking through his things.”

“Here.” Magnus held out his hands and Lup glared up at him. She Gingerly took the contents of the box out and handed him the cracked box. “Jeezus Taako what did you do to this thing?”

“I may.” Taako was being helped by Merle. His nose was thoroughly bloodied. “Or May not. Have fallen on top of it.”

 

* * *

 

They didn't find him until the next cycle. He restitched right next to Lup and Taako, but he only walked wordlessly into a room and locked the door. Taako and Magnus looked at Lup before shrugging. Lup rolled her eyes and marched after her boyfriend.

"Babe?" Lup called standing outside the door. "Babe can I come in?" There was a tense moment of Lup standing outside this door. But she heard the door unlock and it cracked open. "I'll take that as a yes" She slipped into the room and shut the door behind her. Barry was sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the room. Lup walked over and took a seat next to him. She held his box of items, newly repaired and now holding his papers. It was wrapped in her robe at the moment. She leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her.

“I missed you” He muttered gently and Lup sighed,

“I missed you too.” She said. There was a few beats of silence and Lup took a deep breath. “Sildar. We-”

“That’s not my name” Barry flinched heavily.

“We still need to talk!” Lup amended.

“What’s there to talk about? My name is Barry. J. Bluejeans.”

“I literally made up Barry Bluejeans to pick on you!” Lup protested, “Thirty-some years Barry! Thirty-some years you let us call you that!” She stops “Barry isn’t even close!”

“You didn’t read any of the papers did you?”

“Of fucking course not! I want to know everything about you. But I want to hear it from YOU.” She handed the box to Barry. “I had Magnus fix the box and I locked it back up.” She placed the key in his hand.

“I was named after my Dad” Barry said after a long moment. He opened the box and pulled out a piece of paper. A birth certificate. “It’s a stuffy name, and my mom kept calling me Darry. My nickname. Darry J. Hallwinter.” He wrinkles his nose absolutely disgusted by his birth name.

“It’s like a dead name” Lup realized and Barry nodded

“I have absolutely no wish to be even remotely similar to my father. Not even a little.” He handed Lup another piece of paper, a memoir “I didn’t think I would ever have as much fun as the night of the mingle. For once I wasn’t a stuffy boy named after his father. “ He laughed wiping a tear away.

“I was the kid that Lup Decided to name Bluejeans. My father hated my fashion sense. But now,” He laughed “Now it’s my namesake.” He looked down at the box.

“My name Not my father's, not my families. _My name._ ”  He handed Lup another paper “I tried to get it changed. Legally.” Lup stared in shock. All this started as a joke. Barry Bluejeans. A _joke_ she was _picking on him_.

“My dad found out though. I can still feel the bruises. And my mother.” He inhaled sharply. “I hope she got away from him after-” he stopped and wiped away a few more tears. Lup tensed. Of course he had family back there. Of fucking course he did.

“I’m sorry Barry”

“It’s fine. I’ve come to terms with it.” Barry replied. He sighed and handed the box to Lup. “This is me. My birth name, my parents, everything. This is who I  _really_ am." 

“Well that’s a load of shit” Lup decided setting the box down and standing up.

“What?” Barry frowned confused

“It’s a load of shit. This isn’t you.” She said pointing to the box. “You wanna know who you are?” Barry blinked still shocked.

“Your name is Barry Bluejeans. You are afraid of the dark. You like swimming in freezing cold water on hot days because your a fucking idiot. You can’t have milk or anything with milk in it. Your birth father died before you were born. You think your mother is the most wonderful woman in the world. Your name is Barry Bluejeans. And you are my beautifully cheesy wonderfully dorky boyfriend. Don’t you ever. EVER forget it”


End file.
